Why Change Your Mind?
by Triple Integral
Summary: An Alternative ending to S3 Ep 8. Can't say any more than that. One shot.


**Man, it's been ages since I've been able to do any writing at all! This came to me the other day and I had to write it up. Hope you guys like it! :)**

**The usual applies - I don't own anything (unfortunately) and any mistakes are my own. **

**Enjoy! :D**

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_...Sailors fighting in the dance hall. Oh, man! Look at those cavemen go. It's the freakiest show. Take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy..._

David Bowie's _Life on Mars_ could be heard, along with the laughter coming from inside the saloon bar of The Railway Arms. Outside, shadows could be seen in the windows, dark in contrast to the light shining out, and one of the shadows looked to be dancing.

"We weren't bad though, were we?" Gene said, a shield glazed over his eyes, hiding the pain that was evident.

Alex was speechless, so put her hand into her pocket drawing out the epaulette number and handing it to Gene. For a moment, a brief moment, as they gazed into each others eyes, Alex saw the slightest pain in Gene's eyes. It wasn't even there for a second, but she saw it. As soon it was there, however, it was gone.

"See you round, Bollykecks," he said, the smallest of smiles on his face.

Completely lost, and knowing that this could possibly be her last chance to show Gene what he meant to her, Alex closed the gap between her and Gene before cupping his face and bringing their lips together in a surprisingly tender kiss.

After breaking apart, Gene was beginning to find it more difficult to let her go, but she had to – it was better that way.

For a fleeting moment, Gene thought _better for who?_ before getting his composure back and telling her to go.

Alex nodded and turned, making her way slowly to the pub, step by step. As she got to the door she paused, before gripping the door and pulling it open a couple of inches.

The song playing changed as she turned to look at Gene to _Without You_ by Harry Nilsson.

_No, I can't forget this evening  
Or your face as you were leaving  
But I guess that's just the way the story goes  
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows  
Yes, it shows_

_No, I can't forget tomorrow  
When I think of all my sorrow  
When I had you there but then I let you go  
And now it's only fair that I should let you know  
What you should know_

_I can't live if living is without you  
I can't live, I can't give any more_

Alex couldn't look at Gene any more, the tears she'd been holding back had come thick and fast and she couldn't look at him, not if he was making her leave him.

As she turned, she paused again for a second before opening the door all the way and went to take a step forward but stopped.

She was sure that she'd heard something behind her.

Turning her neck, she saw Gene with his mouth open slightly trying desperately to keep his composure, but there was something different about him this time. Alex could see fear in his eyes. Fear and something else, but she wasn't sure what the other thing was.

"Alex," he whispered, a little louder so she could hear.

Turning her body round and letting go of the door, then hearing it slam behind her, Alex all of a sudden got angry. She was confused. He was sending her away from him yet prolonging her going and it killing her inside. To her, the sooner she got in the pub the better.

Gene noticed the anger in her eyes and felt foolish. He'd practically forced her to walk to the pub when she didn't want to go in the first place and now he was stalling. Not knowing what to do or say, he shifted his gaze to the floor.

That's when it clicked for Alex. That was when she realised.

Walking away from the pub and towards Gene, she took her time at first, but after three or four steps she couldn't help but running the remaining distance.

At hearing the clicking of her shoes on the floor, Gene looked up and saw Alex bounding to him and smiled a genuine smile, one of those smiles that took ten years from his face in a second.

He opened his arms and Alex ran into them, wrapping her arms around his neck as he did the same to her waist.

"Stay," he whispered, before lowering his lips to hers and placing the gentlest of pecks there.

"Why change your mind, Gene?" she asked, before adding when he frowned, "I mean, you were certain it was the best thing to do."

Gene was speechless. He couldn't say that a poofy love song from 1971 had made him change his mind because it summed up his feelings at that particular time, could he?

"Erm," he stammered, "I erm,"

"Was it the song?" she asked and he replied with a swift nod, the look on his face telling her he wouldn't go into it any more. "Gene, I l-"

"I know, Bolls. I do, too, but I can't..."

"I know, Gene. I know."

"Come on then, Bollykecks. Can't stay out here all night, can we?"

"No, Gene, we can't," she replied, smiling at him.

They turned and walked away from The Railway Arms, Gene's arm around Alex's shoulder and Alex's around his waist. Both of them were happy. Yes, they had lost friends and Alex had lost her daughter – but they had gained something, too. Together, they were better and they had something special. After all, they had travelled decades to find one another.

As they walked off, Jim Keats picked himself up from the ground. Hissing as he wiped the blood from his mouth, he began to sing. "_We'll meet again. Don't know where, don't know when_..."

Walking away from the now fading Railway Arms, he was already planning how to get Gene's new recruits. He would win, he was determined. _Let Hunt have his precious lioness_, he thought as he threw his now-broken glasses onto the floor heading back to Fenchurch East, _because next time, I'll get them all. Each and every one of them._

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**You know what to do ;) ... Reviews would be nice :) *Hint hint* ... hehe**


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